2goldengirl

Look up the Krebs cycle - if you don't like the term "burn", you can use the term "metabolize". Fat is metabolized on a cellular level by the process of oxidation via the Krebs cycle, the end products of which are CO2 and H20 - Carbon dioxide (which you exhale) and water (which is excreted via sweat and urine).

Um, no. That's not how it works. It's true, however, that the byproduct of burning calories is carbon dioxide and Water. Fat doesn't get "released", it gets burned for fuel when you burn off more calores than you take in. Stalls happen. Change something. You actually might try eating a bit more, changing what you eat, change your workout. You do need to get your Fluid in, especially if you are getting your Protein in, in part to keep the kidneys in shape so they can process the extra water and metabolites that are the byproduct of burning fat. You don't have to drink plain water, herbal tea, broth (watch the sodium here), flavored waters (without added sugar), it all counts.

I am hoping for January. Realistically, I could do it sooner than that, but scheduling the time off work will be an issue until folks are back from the holidays. What state are you in?

The only time a new calendar year might trip you up is if the renewal date for your insurance happens on Jan. 1 AND there is a significant change in your coverage, OR if you have a deductible that rolls to zero every Jan. 1. For example, a lot of people have coverage that changes on Jan. 1 - I've had folks whose employer were changing health plans. In those cases, weveryone knew about the change ahead of time and we made sure everything got wrapped up before the change. Other folks are madly trying to get things done and scheduled before the end of the year because their annual deductible starts on Jan. 1. Hope this helps!

So much good counsel and support you've been given here! I haven't much to add, except to say that my husband's former wife took 20+ years and a long affair to unravel her own sexuality. You are blessed indeed that your wife talked with your about it first, before acting on it. I can tell you from the experience of our family that the alternative has even more hurt within it. My husband was far more hurt over the betrayal of the affair (and its length) than his former wife's orientation. She lost many friends over the lies, not her orientation. What I can offer more than ten years down the road is that not only does healing happen - but change does, too. As you heal, the things you hold as absolute today may also change. I completely believe that you and your wife can re-formulate your friendship and partnership into one that makes room for you to both be fully loved as you each deserve, and to be faithful parents to your son. What you can hope for is that you will heal, and grow, and make room in your heart and your life for someone who will be a full partner to you. One blessing of your relative youth is that you won't be parenting teens through this process, because let me tell you, that's no day at the beach . Peace and healing be with you all.

I totally agree - where I'm most inclined to mess myself up is blurring the line between self-compassion and accountability. Still working on that!

Stop. Stop. Stop. It is entirely normal for anyone's weight to fluctuate a couple pounds day to day, repeat, anyone - no matter whether that someone is trying to lose, maintain, or gain. Do not put yourself through this! If you are eating more carbs (from the crackers) than you had been, then yes, you are putting glycogen back into your muscles and your liver. Glycogen is muscle sugar - fuel. For every ounce of glycogen you put back into storage, you also put back four ounces of Water. Glycogen is NOT FAT - and what you are trying to lose is fat, not fuel. Glycogen is not fat. Water is not fat. EVERYONE has a pound or two that goes up and down, depending on various factors that have absolutely no bearing on overall fat loss, OK? Now go follow your program, go take a walk, but stop beating yourself up over this.

Remember this - "average" includes the results of those individuals who, for whatever reason, did NOT follow their program and hence didn't lose much weight - it also includes those individuals who decided to stop when they got "close enough" to their goal. Who the heck wants to be "average" anyhow? The point is - there is NO reason to say to yourself "I had a sleeve, so I can only expect to lose X percent of my excess weight". Horsefeathers. Lots of folks on this board go on to lose MORE than 100% of their excess weight. I think the better self-talk is to say to yourself "there is no reason I can't lose all my excess weight and meet my goal, I just have to take the right steps to get there".

There's not a thing wrong with you, and insurance doesn't work that way. The reason you have the six-month requirement is to make sure you can adhere to a progrm, which you are doing, and to show that those efforts aren't working, which, guess what, they aren't. I'd be VERY surprised if your insurance coverage of your surgery had anything to do with loss or gain over that six month period, though sometimes your surgeon may have rules about it.

There isn't much lactose left in cheese, so I'm guessing it's the beans.

You lost 17 lbs in four weeks. That's awesome! Now, keep following your program, and put the scale back in the closet. Honest. It is totally and completely normal for anyone's weight to fluctuate a couple pounds. Do not trip yourself out over this!

I love the way you tell your story so far. Well done!

Welcome aboard! Congratulations on taking positive steps to recover from obesity. You've had a LOT of losses. And it sounds as though you've lost confidence in yourself along the way. If you are not currently getting counseling, I'd really recommend it. The people who are the most successful with WLS are those who really commit to themselves - they believe they deserve success and health and work hard every day to make it happen. You deserve the same thing. Learning to deal with your feelings without turning to food is another tool to use, just as the sleeve is. My PCP told me the other day that she believes that WLS is "the definitive treatment for obesity". I really like that term. Good luck to you!

Here is the link for the current policy with criteria for bariatric surgery. Good luck!

The smoky flavor from bacon or other smoked meats can be a problem for some people. You can cook a ham hock or smoked turkey wing in with the soup and remove it whole, and still get that smoky flavor. You can also get hunks of beef marrow bones and roast them in the oven before adding to broth while it cooks, which lends body to the broth and a nice deep flavor. I wouldn't be afraid of using herbs for flavor - Thyme, bay leaf, flat leaf parsley, these go in all of my soups and broths.

I don't know about your prticular plan, but your surgeon's office gets approval for many, many surgeries each year. The person answering the phone at an 800 number gets questions about everything. I'd think the insurance coordinator at your surgeon's office has good information - they do this all day, every day. Good luck!

I've seen a lot of back-and-forth posts from you. It's a huge decision and deserves a lot of careful thought. If there were an herbal supplement or diet pill that really WORKED, we'd know it by now. I saw my PCP yesterday, and she put it very well: as far as she's concerned, WLS is the definitive treatment for obesity. That said, to be successful in that definitive treatment, each of us has to be willing to change: our habits, our thinking, and our priorities. It's a daunting prospect, until I think about this: I've been fighting with my body over weight issues since the 1960's. I'm relaistic enough to know that a year from now, without surgery, I may have lost some weight. I may be fitter. But I will still be significantly overweight. I will still have high blood pressure. I may (by that time) have diabetes. And I will be a year older. With surgery, a year from now, I will be thinner than I've been in more than 30 years. That's half my life. Am I willing to tackle the changes I've mentioned, knowing that the surgery will give me probably the most powerful tool I've ever had in my hands? You bet I am. I can't tell you what to decide, but I can tell you to be very, very honest with yourself. I've spent years on the yo-yo diet roller coaster because I wasn't always honest with myself about how much each little choice throughout my day mattered. Be honest with yourself about what got you here. And be honest with yourself about what you are and aren't prepared to do about it. Good luck, whatever you decide.

Dude, that is freaking awesome! Congratulations!

If the NUT at your clinic can't help you, head straight to your primary MD. Ask him to do some bloodworkto make sure you aren't anemic. Ask them to refer you to a Registered Dietician. There are plenty of ways to get the nutrients you need even without Protein drinks. What are you eating? How much are you able to handle at one time? What foods do you tolerate best? We can't take the place of a doctor visit, but there are lots of helpful folks here.

It's very, very common to have second thoughts - and that goes for any major life decision, doesn't it? Surgery means changing your life forever. It's a big step. Now that you've taken care of the little steps along the way, I think it's natural to be a bit overwhelmed by The Big Step. Take some time to think about it. What are you feeling? Are you scared? What scares you? It might be anything from being scared of surgery itself (lots of people are) to being afraid people will treat you differently (some will) to having to change your relationship with food (you have lots of company here) to - and this is maybe the scariest of all - "I don't know how to be a thin person." Only you can decide what is right for you. Spending some time thinking about why you're feeling what you're feeling will be time well spent, whatever you decide. Good luck!

So far, only my husband and two friends who have also had WLS know. I don't plan to tell more than a handful of people. Part of my reasoning is that I do NOT want my weight loss process (the losses, the stalls, the what-have-you's) to be the focus of attention. I just don't need the scrutiny.

Happy Sleeviversary! Nothing makes me happier (board-wise) than posts like this.

It helps to know what state you're in and what kind of plan you have. Have you asked UHC for their criteria for weight loss surgery? If you haven't, I suggest that you do. It's easier to have facts than worry yourself over guessing.

@@Dub, you are killing me here. I'm pre-pre op, so I can certainly eat any of this, but I haven't had breakfast yet.